Scotland: Week 1

Intro to Jet Lag

Jet lag, though art a heartless $%*&@!  Jet lag is where you want to sleep but can't and when you can, you shouldn't.  Add kids to this wild ride and you want to commit yourself.   Scotland is six hours ahead of us so here is some fun math because thinking is really fun when jet lagged:  At 12:00pm, it is 6:00am (in the morning for those who may be slow or jet lagged) to us and at 12:00am the kids are just warming up.....in other words,

jet lag+kids=HELL

I'm in hell.  Welcome.  Won't you join the rest of the adults for some sleep deprivation and tea??  I'm not a scientist but I hypothesize it takes the number of days that there are hours of difference to properly get over jet lag.  Hard to test this on toddlers as they are always just a little off. 

Tea

 

 Step 2:  Drink Tea.  It's a cultural thing and you don't want to be the odd man out.  It's great.  They will probably want to give you a 'biscuit' to go with it, which is a fancy way of saying cookie and unlike the cute little story of 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' this story ends with you gaining ten pounds because the secret ingredient in Scottish food is butter!  But enjoy anyways.  Anticipate having tea at least five times a day and becoming full on addicted to caffeine.  It's fine, if you have kids you, need the caffeine.  It's the only socially acceptable daytime drug we have!  What's that Judge Judy??? YOU don't need caffeine?? Oh well, YOU need more kids then.  Have a 'cuppa' and shut up.

First Day of School

Isla, at 6, is old enough to be in school.  She joins her cousin Gemma in P1 which is the equivalent to our Kindergarten.  'The Hubs' is already asking that I quantify 'equivalent' but I'm saving that for my shpeel on education.  Anyways, we have special permission from the headmaster to join in the fun a couple of days a week and we are truly grateful for this amazing opportunity. They must wear a uniform even in the public schools and I have to admit it---I love this!  The pictures are adorable!!!  Her first day entails a trip to the Edinburgh Zoo.  School is instantly 'Brilliant'.  Being the social butterfly that she is, she's off to a good start.  However, we have to have a conversation about not correcting the teachers on their teaching methods just a few days in.  That's my girl!